If you have ever wondered whether it is legal to own a lion in Maryland, the short answer is no — and the prohibition comes from multiple directions at once. State criminal law, a landmark federal act, and county ordinances all stack on top of each other to make private lion ownership in the Free State essentially impossible for an ordinary resident.
Understanding exactly why that is the case — and what narrow exceptions do exist — helps you see how exotic animal regulation works in the United States. Whether you are simply curious or doing serious research into exotic pet laws, the legal picture in Maryland is worth walking through carefully.
Is It Legal to Own a Lion in Maryland?
Maryland Criminal Code Section 10-621 prohibits the private ownership of any member of the cat family other than the domestic cat, which explicitly excludes lions and tigers. That single provision is enough to answer the question for most people: no, you cannot own a lion in Maryland as a private resident.
Maryland has a law against the private ownership of exotic animals, and that alone would prevent the kind of private big-cat keeping seen in some other states. The law covers not just possession but also importing, offering for sale, trading, bartering, breeding, and exchanging these animals.
Maryland is not alone in this approach. Some states prohibit the possession of wild or exotic animals altogether, while most simply restrict possession to certain species. Maryland falls firmly in the stricter camp, and lions sit at the top of the restricted list alongside tigers, bears, and several other large predators.
Key Insight: Maryland’s ban on lion ownership predates the federal Big Cat Public Safety Act by more than 15 years. Even if federal law did not exist, owning a lion in Maryland would still be a criminal offense under state law.
What Federal Law Says About Lion Ownership
The Big Cat Public Safety Act was enacted on December 20, 2022, to end the private ownership of big cats as pets and prohibit exhibitors from allowing public contact with big cats, including cubs. This law operates at the national level and applies to every state, including Maryland.
The Big Cat Public Safety Act refers to big cats as “prohibited wildlife species,” and the list includes lions (Panthera leo), tigers, leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars, and any hybrids of these species. Owning, breeding, or acquiring any of these animals as a private individual is now a federal offense.
The law amends the Captive Wildlife Safety Act to prohibit the private possession of lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars, or any hybrid of these species, with the prohibition narrowly focused on pet big cats and exempting zoos, sanctuaries, and universities.
The Act includes an exception for private individuals or entities who owned big cats before the law was enacted on December 20, 2022. If you were a private big cat owner, you could keep your prohibited big cats under this law, provided you had registered each big cat in your possession with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service no later than June 18, 2023. Only 27 owners nationwide completed that registration. That registration window is now permanently closed.
It is your responsibility to follow all local, state, tribal, and federal laws and regulations regarding prohibited wildlife species. Registration under the Big Cat Public Safety Act does not constitute authorization to engage in any activity prohibited by such laws and regulations. In other words, even a registered grandfathered owner still had to comply with Maryland’s own stricter state ban.
Important Note: The federal registration window for previously owned big cats closed on June 18, 2023, and is not reopening. There is no current legal pathway for a private individual to acquire a new lion anywhere in the United States under federal law.
For a broader look at large wild cats in the United States, see this overview of American states with mountain lions, which covers where mountain lions roam and how they are managed across the country.
Maryland’s Laws on Owning a Lion
Under Maryland Criminal Code Section 10-621, a person may not import into the state, offer for sale, trade, barter, possess, breed, or exchange the following species of animals: foxes, skunks, raccoons, bears, caimans, alligators, crocodiles, wild cats, wolves, nonhuman primates, and venomous snakes. Lions fall squarely within the “wild cats” category.
This chapter of Maryland laws declares that it is in the public interest to ensure public health and safety by strictly regulating the possession, breeding, and importation of certain animals that pose risks to humans. The legislature’s intent is clear: these animals are regulated because of the genuine danger they pose to the public.
The law also addresses what happens to a lion if its owner dies. If the owner of a restricted animal dies without making arrangements for the transfer of custody of the animal to another person, the animal may be turned over to one of the approved organizations or euthanized if no suitable location can be found in a reasonable amount of time.
There is one narrow historical exception worth knowing about. The law came into effect in 2006, and there is an exception for anyone who owned a banned animal before May 31, 2006, as long as they provided notice to the local county animal control authority. So if someone had a tiger or cobra before 2006, they could still legally own it as long as they gave the required notice. That window closed nearly two decades ago and has no practical relevance for anyone seeking to acquire a lion today.
In Maryland, strict liability is the law of the land in cases involving exotic animals. This means that if you are the owner of such an animal and the animal injures someone or damages their property, you can be held liable for damages. You can behave as responsibly as possible, providing ample space, a healthy diet, and professional care for your animal, but this will not negate strict liability.
If you are interested in Maryland’s wildlife more broadly, the state is home to a surprising variety of native species. You can explore types of hawks in Maryland, types of owls in Maryland, and woodpeckers in Maryland for a look at the state’s legal and thriving native wildlife.
Permits and Requirements for Lion Ownership in Maryland
Maryland does not offer a standard permit that allows a private resident to keep a lion as a pet. The state’s permitting framework is designed for specific institutional and professional categories, not for personal ownership.
Animal sanctuaries, Animal Welfare Act-licensed facilities, those holding valid permits from the Department of Natural Resources, and veterinarians are exempted from the general prohibition. These are narrow, professionally defined exemptions — not avenues open to the general public.
The most detailed set of conditions applies to licensed exhibitors. The holder of a Class C Exhibitor’s License under the Animal Welfare Act may acquire or breed a lion, tiger, leopard, or similar big cat only if the holder maintains a liability insurance policy of at least $1,000,000, has at least one paid full-time staff member trained in the care of each species kept, has an animal disposition policy that provides for the placement of animals in appropriate facilities if the facility closes, and maintains and implements a training plan regarding zoonotic disease risk and prevention.
Even that Class C Exhibitor pathway has significant restrictions. The holder of a Class C Exhibitor’s License may not possess a lion, tiger, leopard, or similar big cat that was not owned by the holder of the license on June 30, 2014. This means even licensed exhibitors face a hard cutoff on acquiring new animals — a provision that aligns with the broader federal effort to wind down private big cat populations.
The following table summarizes who may legally possess a lion in Maryland and under what conditions:
| Entity Type | May Possess a Lion? | Key Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Private individual | No | Prohibited under MD Criminal Law § 10-621 |
| Licensed research facility (AWA) | Yes | Must hold valid federal Animal Welfare Act license |
| Class C Exhibitor (zoo/circus) | Limited | Animal must have been owned before June 30, 2014; strict insurance and staffing requirements apply |
| Wildlife sanctuary | Yes | Must not conduct commercial activity or breed animals outside AZA survival plans |
| Licensed veterinarian | Treatment only | Must treat in accordance with customary veterinary practices |
| Out-of-state traveler | Temporary | In Maryland for 10 days or fewer while traveling between locations outside the state |
Local Laws That May Apply in Maryland
State law sets the floor, but Maryland’s counties can and do add their own layers of restriction. If you live in a county with its own exotic animal ordinance, you face both the state criminal prohibition and a separate local one.
Anne Arundel County is one clear example. Keeping of wild animals, exotic animals, and vicious animals is prohibited. A person may not keep or permit to be kept on the person’s premises any wild animal, exotic animal, or vicious animal as a pet or for display or exhibition purposes, whether gratuitously or for a fee.
Small animals such as hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, mice, rats, other small rodents, rabbits, ferrets, birds, fish, and nonpoisonous amphibians and reptiles are not considered wild animals or exotic animals under that county code — but a lion certainly is.
Montgomery County similarly prohibits wild animal possession. The penalty for failing to keep a dangerous animal confined in Montgomery County ranges from $500 to $2,500, plus potential impoundment of the animal. That is on top of whatever state-level penalties apply.
Some counties in Maryland have their own regulations regarding certain animals, such as hybrids of domestic and wild animals. This means the rules in Baltimore City, Prince George’s County, or Frederick County may differ in their specifics, even if the core prohibition on lions is consistent across the state. Always check with your local animal control authority before making any assumption about what is permitted in your jurisdiction.
Pro Tip: Contact your county’s animal services office directly to confirm local ordinances. County codes are updated regularly, and the local rules may be stricter than the state baseline — never more permissive when it comes to dangerous exotic animals.
Maryland has no shortage of fascinating legal wildlife to observe instead. Check out types of snakes in Maryland, types of frogs in Maryland, and lizards in Maryland for species you can legally observe and, in some cases, keep under the appropriate permits.
Penalties for Illegally Owning a Lion in Maryland
The consequences for illegally possessing a lion in Maryland operate at both the state and federal levels, and they are serious. Do not assume that a first offense will be treated lightly — law enforcement has broad authority to act quickly.
At the state level, a person who violates Maryland Criminal Law Section 10-621 is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 for an individual, or a fine not exceeding $10,000 if the violator is not an individual (such as a business).
Beyond the fine, the animal itself is at immediate risk of seizure. An animal may be immediately seized if there is probable cause to believe that the possession of the animal is in violation of this section, or if the animal poses a risk to public health or public safety. A seized animal may be returned only if it is established that possession of the animal is not a violation of this section and that the return of the animal does not pose a risk to public health or public safety.
The financial exposure does not stop with fines. Unless a court finds that the seizure of the animal was not justified, the actual costs of the care, keeping, and disposal of the animal are the responsibility of the person from whom the animal was seized. Housing a confiscated lion in an appropriate facility is extraordinarily expensive, and those costs fall on you.
Federal penalties add another layer. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service enforces the Big Cat Public Safety Act, and violations of the Lacey Act — which the BCPSA amends — can result in federal criminal charges, civil penalties, and forfeiture of the animal. It is your responsibility to follow all local, state, tribal, and federal laws and regulations regarding prohibited wildlife species.
The enforcement authority is broad. The provisions of Maryland’s exotic animal law may be enforced by any state or local law enforcement officer, or the local animal control authority for the jurisdiction where the violation occurs. That means a county animal control officer, a state trooper, or a local police officer can all initiate action.
The following list summarizes the key consequences you face for illegally owning a lion in Maryland:
- Misdemeanor criminal conviction under Maryland Criminal Law § 10-621
- Individual fine of up to $1,000 (state); up to $10,000 for a business entity
- Immediate seizure of the animal by animal control or law enforcement
- Liability for all costs of the animal’s care, housing, and disposal after seizure
- Strict civil liability for any injuries or property damage the animal causes
- Potential federal charges and penalties under the Big Cat Public Safety Act and Lacey Act
- Possible prohibition from owning any animal as a condition of probation
The bottom line is straightforward. Between Maryland’s state ban, the federal Big Cat Public Safety Act, and county-level ordinances, there is no legal path for a private resident to own a lion in Maryland. Big cats belong in the wild or, in situations where captive animals can no longer safely be returned to the wild, in accredited sanctuaries equipped to meet their complex physical and psychological needs — and allowing untrained people to maintain big cats in their homes not only harms animals but threatens public safety.
If your interest in Maryland’s wildlife runs deep, there is plenty to explore legally. From types of bats in Maryland to types of moths in Maryland and types of butterflies in Maryland, the state offers a rich variety of native species to observe and appreciate without any legal risk.